Cheryl Jencks Answers Your Questions

By Cheryl Jencks

This document gives Cheryl's answers to questions about issues in Monterey, her suggestions for solutions, and her vision for the future.

I am committed to the renovation of the State Theater. It has the potential to be the jewel of our downtown and will provide a much-needed performing arts venue and addition to our conference center facilities. I support the city's efforts to make this happen, whether through a joint venture with the Monterey Jazz Festival (preferably) or by itself. I would be able to delay spending on a Public Services Center and/or future acquisitions for the Window To The Bay project to make this happen.

Can Monterey afford to maintain its current budget and current city operation/service levels?

The City of Monterey asked all of its departments to cut 10% from their budgets this year, and many Planning Department fees were raised for the first time in more than a decade. This is an indication that with the current state of the economy and tourism nationwide, we are going to have to tighten our belts. On the other hand, the city has been diligent in setting aside money in the budget for an economic reserve, and this will cushion the blow if the economy picks up within the next year or so. I believe the city should continue its commitment to high levels of service to its residents, and this may mean delaying large capital expenditures such as the proposed Public Services Center. If the economy continues to worsen, however, we will have to start cutting services because sales taxes and property taxes together don't even pay for our fire and police services.

Identify three things that are wrong with Monterey and provide your solutions to them.

Traffic: The traffic is at unacceptably bad levels in several areas of the city, and it is only likely to get worse if we continue on the same path. We need to continue to work with DLI and the Department of Defense to make at least emergency access across the Presidio possible, but preferably open up the High Street route so there are more than two ways to get to the New Monterey/Pacific Grove area. We also need to work with both DLI and the Naval Postgraduate School to encourage shuttle buses between the military housing areas and the bases to reduce some of the private automobile traffic. In my work on the General Plan Update Committee, we have been discussing reducing development potential on the Pacific Grove side of the tunnel and concentrating future development in areas that are more convenient to public transportation and more pedestrian oriented. The East Downtown area (between downtown and Lake El Estero) is one area that could be developed at a greater mixed-use intensity. Developers should be required to provide bicycle parking areas, and the city should provide additional bicycle parking facilities downtown and along the Recreation Trail.

Water: Monterey is out of water, and only lots with approved plans and current water allocation will be able to develop. This means that there are many lots of record that won't be able to develop until we find an additional source of water. Cal Am has closed two of its reservoirs and has never dredged the two dams along the Carmel River (and these are now potential earthquake hazards because of the weight of silt built up against them). The water management district has been unable to provide new sources of water, and doesn't have the tools to effectively manage what it has. Because, apparently, of privacy issues, MPWMD is unable to obtain records of actual water use, so it is unable to ascertain whether new projects actually use the same amount of water predicted or to tell whether transferring water rights has a positive or negative effect. Monterey cannot achieve any of its General Plan goals, to include creating affordable housing, without an additional source of water. Monterey needs to go back to participating in the process at the district, support the "Plan B" alternatives, and work with Cal Am and the PUC to more vigorously address these issues.

Schools: Our school district is in an abysmal condition, and the school facilities are falling apart. Class sizes are too large, the curriculum has been cut beyond the bone, and the community is losing faith in the district's ability to ever dig itself out of its hole. Monterey needs to continue to help wherever possible, continuing projects such as Neighborhood Improvement Program funding of facility upgrading with joint use agreements, facilitating hiring of essential school personnel with donated funds (such as the counselors funded by the PTA), and the library's Homework Pals volunteers on-site at the schools. We also need to make sure our Recreation Department is as responsive as possible to the needs of families, providing programs at the schools after and before school hours as well as during school breaks. The city should also use its expertise to take a leadership role in forming a task force to advise the district and develop a vision for returning our schools to the quality our children deserve.

Does the city need to spend $16#20 million on a new city hall? Are there other solutions to city staff working conditions?

Now is not the time to be making huge capital expenditures. While many of the city staff are currently working in impossible conditions, and the current city council's goal of providing one-stop access to city services is admirable, there are other solutions that could be implemented for the short term. Part of the problem is related to storage--planning offices are filled to the ceiling with blueprints and plans for past projects. Much of this paper could be stored elsewhere to allow more space in which to work. Office space could be leased in the downtown area until the economy improves.

It would be wonderful to restore Colton Hall and use the entire building for a museum. The city already owns and uses for office space many small houses on the city hall block, but those buildings were not designed for office use and are terribly inefficient. When the economy improves, the city will have the information provided in the EIR for the Public Services Center that is currently in progress, and a new design can be pursued that is more compatible with the neighborhood and more respectful of the historic buildings on the site. I favor a design that comprises several smaller buildings, both on this block and across the street near the fire and police departments, as well as one that implements a parking solution at the same time to minimize the impacts on the surrounding neighborhood.

Does Monterey do enough working regionally with other cities?

I think Monterey could do a much better job of talking to and interacting with our sister cities in the county. Currently, we are perceived as rather isolationist and uncooperative, and we need to realize that what happens outside our borders can have as much effect as what we do within them. We especially need to do a better job of working with the water management district and other regional agencies.

Name your top three priorities for the city.

1. Take a very conservative approach to the budget to ensure we can weather the poor economy for as long as it lasts.

2. Make completion of the General Plan Update a priority for city staff so the volunteers working on it have access to the best and most complete information possible and can make long-term decisions for the good of the city.

3. Improve traffic conditions through a combination of coordination with large employers (including the military and Monterey Peninsula College), implementation of additional reliable, year-round public transportation such as the WAVE, and smart growth along public transportation and pedestrian routes.

Describe your vision of Monterey in 2025.

By 2025, several years after the end of the current general plan implementation period, I see a city that has helped to implement at least one of the proposed additional water sources and partnered in constructing several new affordable housing projects. By that time, we should have improved our school facilities and brought the school district back into fiscal responsibility so our children are receiving above-average education. The City of Monterey will be a model for the rest of the state in facilitating two-way communication between citizens and the local government, so all citizens are informed about and feel they have a say in the public process. We will have made significant progress toward increasing the numbers of tourists who stay overnight and leave their cars at their hotels while they explore Monterey, or, better yet, arrive on the train and don't need to drive at all while they are here. New construction will be built in areas accessible to public transportation and pedestrian-oriented services, and all of our major business districts will be thriving due to the extra care and attention they have received.

What has been the city council's worst mistake of the last 10 years?

More than just one big thing, it is more a general pattern of not following through. Plans to improve the Lighthouse Avenue, Calle Principal, and North Fremont Street business districts have been created but not implemented, mitigation measures and conditions of approval for large projects have been allowed to slip through the cracks, code enforcement issues take years to resolve, general plan development has been allowed without the concurrent implementation of traffic and circulation improvements, and so on. It is frustrating for committees and commissions to spend a lot of time making sure projects are compatible with their surrounding areas and not harmful to the environment, only to watch as conditions and mitigations are ignored or put off.

What is the best idea you have about solving the housing shortage?

By far the largest portion of the cost of housing is the cost of the land. Assuming additional water becomes available, Monterey government can facilitate additional mixed-use housing and higher-density housing in areas that are pedestrian friendly and accessible to public transportation. Ryan Ranch still has some water available, and I have long thought that the plan for that area was deficient. If Ryan Ranch werew developed with services for the people who work there (more than one or two lunch restaurants, dry cleaning, grocery store, child care, etc.) and mixed-use housing, we could reduce the traffic on Highway 68. This area has a lot of potential to be developed into a kind of New Urbanism/neotraditional community where people could live close to where they work and walk to the services they need. On the city-owned portion, Monterey could subsidize the cost of housing to make it affordable for the life of the project. Monterey has the potential to be a leader in creating an infrastructure development agreement to facilitate development of affordable housing at Fort Ord; we can contribute our public works expertise to plans to keep the costs of infrastructure down and possible also contribute money and planning staff time to get these projects going. We also need to encourage all the cities involved to plan around a regional public transportation concept to keep traffic impacts to a minimum.

Do you favor dismantling the water board?

Yes, I do. In the more than 20 years of its existence, it has not provided any new source of water and has done practically nothing but spend money. It seems to be out of touch with the needs and desires of the community (the two water proposals it has put on the ballot were both rejected). It seems to be a dysfunctional organization, and as such should be replaced. Because it can only be dismantled by the state legislature, however, that is unlikely to happen any time soon. Therefore, as a city council member I would work diligently with the district to achieve the projects outlined in Fred Keeley's "Plan B" as soon as possible and to educate the public.

Do Monterey schools meet your expectations for public education?

No, they don't. The class sizes are too large, the physical facilities are in terrible shape, and the curriculum has been cut beyond the bone. The financial mismanagement of the district has been incredible, and we are not doing right by our children. I support the City of Monterey's efforts to improve facilities where possible through joint-use agreements and to facilitate volunteer contributions. I also support providing city-sponsored and paid for library and recreational programs on school sites to supplement the instructional programs. (see above)

What are your opinions of the new Ocean View Plaza project?

I am dismayed by the probability that the current city council will approve this project on October 15. I do not believe it complies with the Cannery Row Land Use Plan or the City of Monterey General Plan in many areas, and it is not an appropriate project for Monterey. The traffic and parking problems it will generate are immense, causing impacts on New Monterey and Pacific Grove after they have already been affected by the closure of DLI. I believe the dozens of lots underlying the project should be developed in smaller portions and as water becomes available, and I think it is irresponsible of the city to even consider allowing a private developer to build its own desalinization plant on the National Marine Sanctuary to make private use of a public resource. I also can't imagine who the developer thinks will be the customers for the vast amounts of retail and restaurant space they are proposing. Tourists will not be coming to Cannery Row to shop at national chains like Pottery Barn, and the population of the peninsula does not seem nearly large enough to support retail on this scale. Any business this mall gets will most likely be at the expense of our local stores and restaurants, and it is not in Monterey's best interest to have our local businesses fail and leave empty storefronts along the Row. It looks to me like the developer is planning to make its money on the 3,000-square-foot condominiums, but where is the compensating benefit to Monterey? If this council approves this project, I will support a referendum to take the issue to the voters of Monterey.

What are the most pressing issues you hear from local business owners?

First and foremost, the water issue--will water be available for remodels or new development, will water rights be able to be transferred within the city, will we be able to make it through the next drought. The worsening traffic situation, especially west of the tunnel, and the effect any traffic mitigations will have on parking. On Cannery Row, the maintenance and clean-up of the streets and sidewalks. On Fremont Street, a continuing frustration at being forgotten and underserved and a desire to improve the streetscape and the mix of merchants.

What do you do for fun?

I love to read (which is a good thing given the amount of background material I need to read each week for the Planning Commission and various committees I'm on for the city). I also love to hike with my husband, Harlan, around Point Lobos and other area parks. I look forward to the farmers' markets each week and buy and pick produce (especially my favorites--berries) to preserve in jams, marmalades, and pickles. We go to Salt Lake City at least a couple of times each year to visit my family (9 nieces and nephews!) and ski in the best snow on earth.

Name the last book you read.

I just finished A Traitor to Memory by Elizabeth George, one of my favorite mystery writers, and I am currently reading Fury by Salman Rushdie. On a recent car trip, I read local author Christopher Moore's The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove aloud to my husband because his novels are hysterically funny. I'm also in the middle of Deborah Tannen's Gender & Discourse--I often have several books going at once.

What is the role of a city leader? Are you a leader?

The role of a city leader is to be informed on local issues and to listen diligently to the public. A leader must also be aware of what is going on in the surrounding region and the state as a whole and how it will affect our city (as well as aware of how what we do will affect our neighbors). A leader must be able to identify good ideas, educate the public about them, and build support for plans that will benefit the community. The ability to build a consensus is a vital skill, necessary to keep discussions constructive and promote cooperation among many organizations. I believe I am a leader--I don't always have the best ideas myself, but I can identify them when I hear them. I listen carefully and respectfully to all input, and I am conscientious about following through with projects once started. I do my homework and honor my commitments, and I believe I would be an effective city councilmember and can help make Monterey an even better place to live and work.